You tell us that you have been making attempts at humor in this thread and that they have been misunderstood. To be candid with you, I have seen no real evidence of humor in anything you have written and so I'm skeptical. Others here probably feel likewise. I could say more but I won't.

It's an interesting discussion and I welcome your comments. But please, when you try to be funny in future, either write something that is clearly witty or do us all a favor and use a suitable indicator .... that's what smilies are there for.

Charles.

I agree that adding a smilie seems to give people carte blanche. I'm not asking for your approval to have an opinion either. Flame on.

Smilies (emoticons) do not give "carte blanche". What they do is add the inflection and facial expressions and body language which is otherwise difficult to communicate with the written word. They inform the target of your invective or wit that your intention is not to draw blood.

Many of your comments tend to be sharp with no apparent hint of humor. Adding a proper smilie softens the blow, or turns it in another direction entirely. Other emoticons can add emphasis to an intended sharp comment and indicate that you had no intent at all of making funny. Like this...

I got to test our theories about walking today. I explained to my buddies that walking would probably be faster and they politely disagreed with me and loaded up into their cart. So I walked while they rode in a cart. I got the roll eyes and a comment of "faster my a**" as they drove past me to their balls after our first tee off... unfortunately for them I'm a better player and I ended up waiting for them on every green. Made me feel pretty good and the exercise was good. It was chilly this morning so the walking kept my body moving and warmed up. I felt a lot more relaxed coming up to my ball for my next shot. I think walking definitely has its advantages.

And Datsyuk,

If that one line is the only thing you took away from my whole paragraph... then I can see that you are the type of person that is never wrong and never needs any advice. I could see that if one person had an issue with your responses then yeah... maybe then it would point to a simple disagreement or misunderstanding. But, the problem is that it's not just one person... it's a whole forum of people that have a problem with the way you have presented yourself. And when we try and help or point it out you go on the defensive. I think that's all I need to say.

I got to test our theories about walking today. I explained to my buddies that walking would probably be faster and they politely disagreed with me and loaded up into their cart. So I walked while they rode in a cart. I got the roll eyes and a comment of "faster my a**" as they drove past me to their balls after our first tee off... unfortunately for them I'm a better player and I ended up waiting for them on every green. Made me feel pretty good and the exercise was good. It was chilly this morning so the walking kept my body moving and warmed up. I felt a lot more relaxed coming up to my ball for my next shot. I think walking definitely has its advantages.

And Datsyuk,

If that one line is the only thing you took away from my whole paragraph... then I can see that you are the type of person that is never wrong and never needs any advice. I could see that if one person had an issue with your responses then yeah... maybe then it would point to a simple disagreement or misunderstanding. But, the problem is that it's not just one person... it's a whole forum of people that have a problem with the way you have presented yourself. And when we try and help or point it out you go on the defensive. I think that's all I need to say.

-Scott

I admit being wrong quite often since I'm married with kids, Scott. I'm guessing there's a history here of walkers versus riders and I didn't want to stir that up. I'm not rider obviously and I'll never understand able bodied people choosing to ride unless it's blazing hot outside. I'm a dinosaur. I'll admit that too.

I don't believe insulting someone then adding a smilie is any less insulting, but like I said, I'm very very old school. Pre-smilie.

Why is that? It seems very common in this discussion that the walkers are getting to the green and next tee first and aren't slowing the riders down. In another discussion anyone suggesting a walker could keep up to rider was ludicrous. Logic fuzzy - topic avoided.

On my home course it's because most of the greens are guarded near the front with a walking only bridge straight to the green, where riders must stay on the cart path and go around. Or the cart path loops around in an indirect route to the green. Even more with the next tee box. The walker can take a straight and direct route, where the riders must follow the path. So by the time you get the cart around the path, get out and secure your putter and/or wedge if you missed the green, and then walk up to green, the walkers have made it over the walking bridge or taken the straight route to the green and actually get there faster in most cases.